Vocal
Production &
Articulation
Chapter 7-Drama Projects
To build and use proper breathing and
articulation and produce quality vocal
tone
In the Biz…

Sally Vahle: Voiceover actor:
http://www.marycollins.com/sally-vahle

Man of 1,000 voices
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTtT5CC
R-XA&feature=related
Voice
 The actor’s instrument
 The basic element of the acting craft
 Must be flexible
 Character
 Emotional texture
 Meaning
Voice: Characteristics
 Volume: the relative loudness of a voice
 Pitch: the relative highness or lowness of a
voice
 Articulation: clearly pronouncing words
 Resonance: a rich, warm vocal tone
 Inflection: variety of vocal pitch
 Rate: the speed at which one speaks
 Project: increase voice or actions so they
will carry to the audience
Voice Production
 Diaphragm: a flat muscle that separates the
chest from the abdominal cavity, below the
rib cage
 Larynx: where vocal cords are located and
vibrated by exhaled air to produce sound
 Resonators: throat, nose, mouth, and
sinuses
 Articulators (tongue, jaw, teeth, cheeks,
lips, and hard and soft palates)
Articulation

1) Which witch watched which watch?

2) A big black bug bit a big black bear and the big black bear bled blue black blood.

4) When does the wrist watch strap shop shut?

5) Topeka, topeka, topeka. Bodega, bodega, bodega. Topeka, topeka, topeka. Bodega, bodega, bodega. Topeka, bodega, topeka,
bodega, topeka, bodega, topeka. Bodega, topeka, bodega, topeka, bodega, topeka, bodega.

6) She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

7) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers; a peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

8) A cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup.

9) Few free fruit flies fly from flames.

10) Lesser leather never weathered lesser wetter weather.

11) Rubber baby-buggy bumpers.

12) Theopholus Thistle, the successful thistle sifter, successfully sifted some thistles.
What are some
other jobs and
situations where
vocal production
and articulation are
crucial?
Do Work

Exercise: One Word Communication



Stand up and find a partner
Stand facing one another
Wait for instructions
Emotions





Sad
Happy
Choked up
Shocked
Painful
What did you discover about
the power of your vocal
production?
How did you use volume to
communicate?
How did the tones vary
depending on what emotion
you portrayed?
Do WorK
 Instructions:
 Get a pen or pencil
 Get into groups of 3-4
 Create a tongue twister to help with
articulation or an activity to help with
pitch or projection
Proper Breathing
 Must breathe from the diaphragm
 Breathe more deeply
 Provides control you need to project
long passages without running out of
breath
 Chest cavity stays relatively still
 Waist expands & contracts
 Lower ribs rise and fall slightly
Richer Tone

Depends on your vocal mechanism, you can not change

Tone is the vocal element you use to create different emotional
colors

Exercise 1:



Say these words – Oh, yes, well, really, possibly
With these emotions/states of being – happiness, pride,
fatigue, fright, anger, suspicion, innocence, pleading, and
sorrow
Exercise 2:

Reproduce tone color of these words by making your voice
sound like the word’s meanings:


bang, crackle, swish, tinkle, roar,
wheeze, bubble, splash, clang, gurgle